#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Kenneth M. Wessner

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Kenneth M. Wessner, who served during the Vietnam War.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Kenneth M. Wessner, who served during the Vietnam War.

In 1934, Kenneth was born in Drehersville, Pennsylvania, to Lester and Esther Wessner. Shortly after graduating high school in 1952, Wessner enlisted in the army, where he served as a cryptologist for 22 years both abroad and domestically.

Overseas, Wessner served in Vietnam, and was also later stationed in Japan and Germany. The latter was his favorite duty location, though he also was stationed at bases in Maryland for the National Security Agency, and in Texas, where he also loved to fish.

For his service, Wessner received the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal. In 1978, he retired at the rank of sergeant major, and returned to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where he took up farming. In his free time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and woodworking. Kenneth died on July 24, 2017. He was 83.

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Contributors:

Graphic designer: Emma Catlett

Editor: Arletha Ndoume

Tags:

Author

Taryn Gehman

Taryn Gehman is a graduate student at Universität Potsdam in Potsdam, Germany and is studying Anglophone Modernities in Literature and Culture. She is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania and is currently an editing and writing intern at the Department of Veteran Affairs.